HEATHER C.

Exciting! Total Page-Turner

This was the first time I read one of Mr. Carson Reno, a private detective’s, adventures and I couldn’t put it down. I am more of a romance/fantasy reader myself, but the story is so well-developed that it caught my attention right from the beginning (the prologue) when the murder of a crime/mystery author takes place as soon as she types the last words to her newest manuscript and in the cabin of her boat. I must say that I didn’t find it clichè, but pretty poetic. Soon after, Mr. Reno takes the scene and, without having any recollection of his last hours or events and plus being unfortunate enough to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, he receives the honor of becoming the prime suspect in Darling’s murder (the boat’s Capitan murder being added to his charges just as well).

“It’s not whiskey it’s Scotch, and you know how I hate that stuff. I wasn’t drinking… somebody hit me over the head and…and I guess used my gun to shoot…shoot whoever. I suppose somewhere in the process they poured a bottle of Scotch over me and put my handcuffs on the dead woman. I have no idea – I don’t know any more than what I’ve already told you.”

As you can see, that doesn’t sound promising to help the detective.

Still, the author plays a smart move as he invites us to travel a few hours into the past in order to get to know what has happened between our (main) characters and while also giving ourselves the chance to try to put some clues together and eventually solve the murder.

“Ms. Darling, protection isn’t what I really do…”,Mr. Reno told Ms. Marlow Darling.

Setting the mystery mood from the beginning, we soon find ourselves traveling from Memphis (Tennessee) to one of US’ most iconic and touristic places – welcome to New Orleans! – and where things aren’t always what they seem, while we join our detective in his search for Ms. Darling’s missing manuscript, his innocence and, consequently, the truth.

“I just need you to keep me out of jail so I can do what I need to do. This whole thing is nuts, and somebody has done a good job of framing me for two murders. I intend to find out who that ‘somebody’ is.”

And so he does.

“Murder my Darling” is an amazing novel and an exciting page-turner, which I truly recommend to anyone who might wish to dive into a great and original detective’s plot. And, in being not only a voracious reader but also a Brazilian myself, I feel like I need to end this review by sharing that I actually felt as if I were traveling to the places where the scenes take action, a courtesy of Mr. Gerald great writing skills.